Deadhouse Gates (Malazan Book of the Fallen, #2)

by Steven Erikson

‘I don’t remember. I don’t remember any of their faces. We were waiting to see what they’d do with us. But then we were led away – the children – away. Soldiers pushed my father, dragged him in the opposite direction. I was supposed to stay close, but I went with the children. They punished me – punished all of the children – for not doing what we were told.’ Cotillion’s eyes narrowed. ‘I don’t think your father had much choice, Panek.’ ‘But the enemy were fathers too, you see. And mothers and grandmothers – they were all so angry with us. They took our clothes. Our sandals. They took everything from us, they were so angry. Then they punished us.’ ‘And how did they do that?’ ‘They nailed us to crosses.’ Cotillion said nothing for a long moment. When he finally spoke, his voice was strangely flat. ‘You remember that, then.’